I'm on towards my goal for this year, a Cisco certification. Of course I know that this is something that I should take seriously if I want to get to what I have aimed for. One of the serious steps I have taken (which I have mentioned in my earlier post about this topic) was through having an account with The Cisco Learning Network. My first few visits to the community was some sort of getting the feel of the community, a way of trying to see where I could fit in such a thriving social learning network. I assumed the stance of an observer because I know that majority of the members of the community are real IT professionals with years of solid experience neatly tucked under their belts. I, on the other hand, inspite of the tons of books I've read and a handful of experiences I managed to have in this field, is the novice who is aiming for his first Cisco certification. This morning I got my self into the community's discussion forums. By reading the things that are in there many new ideas and possibilities were opened to me. I saw in the community's forums that there are also many members who, like me, are there to take the serious business of learning from more experienced peers. This made me feel more comfortable with the community. I'd be frequenting the forums and I'd soon be contributing. sharing of knowledge makes the world go round. Online discussions with other networking professionals could widen one's knowledge in this field, it is very important and the community supplies it. But it is not just the knowledge gained in the online discussions that matters, it is also the connection that every member gets.